An unimaginable horror has occurred this morning in the city of Illuria.  We’ve just received word that Holn Brengrin, the tournament mage we interviewed just a few weeks ago, was found slain in his home in the trade quarter!  The city guard, well known for their investigative abilities and stringent enforcement of the law, immediately launched an investigation into his death, now believed to be an assassination!

Based on the initial reports, there were no signs of forced entry into his home, and the numerous spell wards that he had set in place were still intact and untriggered.  Whomever performed this heinous act must have either been a close friend of Mr. Brengrin, or been an incredibly skilled assassin indeed.  The reports also state that the mage is believed to have been killed through the use of an extremely virulent poison, one virtually unknown to even the skilled investigators of the guardsmen!

Rumors are circulating as to the killer’s motives.  Some theorize that he stepped out of line with the Tournament Master, while others believe he said something he shouldn’t have at this very bench in Caer Tolineth while speaking with us!  I can’t imagine what he might have even hinted at that would merit such an untimely demise!

While we’re waiting for more information, I thought I might review the laws regarding poisons within the borders of the Illurian Empire.  Per the Articles of Law, Section IV, subsection VII:

• Any being caught in possession of any refined or natural poison without a license will be detained and questioned, pending further charges. A being found guilty of this crime with be sentenced to 2-5 years of prison or hard labor.

• The use of poison for the purposes of committing a crime increase the sentence by 5-10 years of prison or hard labor, depending on the nature of the crime and the effects of the poison.

• Any being unlawfully trafficking in poisons or similar substances is considered to have utilized poisons during the commission of a crime, and is subject to the same penalties.

• Any being found guilty of murder by poisoning will be put to death or sold into indentured servitude for their crimes. Multiple counts of this crime could result in Crystalline Imprisonment.

It’s important to realize that obtaining a poisoner’s license is nearly impossible without political backing.  Most citizens of the empire couldn’t even dream of affording one, with a price tag ranging from several hundred pieces of gold, to well into the thousands depending on the type of poison the license is for.  And these aren’t even lifetime licenses, having to be renewed every year at 10% of the initial cost!  Obviously, one can assume there is a substantial black market trade in poisons, though doing so is an extremely dangerous undertaking, particularly in the capital.

I would also like to remind those citizens that are listening or reading the transcript of this announcement that most prison sentences can be bought out via a period of indentured servitude. Though there’s no telling who, if anyone, would submit payment to the courts on your behalf.  And remember, it cannot be any person you are known to have close association with, and the crime still goes on your citizenry record.

Lastly, I would like to announce a reward.  Anyone with information leading to the capture of this assassin will receive just compensation for their time and attentiveness.  Simply post your knowledge in the comments section below and the investigation will determine what information is useful.

Poisoner’s Rules

Unbeknownst to the Illurian guard, and the announcer who was speaking previously, the Tournament Mage was slain by a refined form of giant tarantula venom.  The statistics for the poison are as follows:

Concentrated Giant Tarantula Venom

Type Injected or ingested; Save Fortitude DC 26

Onset Immediate; Frequency 1/round for 6 rounds

Effect 1d6 Str; Cure 3 consecutive saves.

How might a concentrated does of this poison be made you ask?  Obviously the poisoner has advanced knowledge of poison use, and has studied and experimented extensively to refine the venom to the form that he desired.

Step 1: Study of Poisons

Intense study of poisons can yield a number of feats that are able to augment a poisoncrafter’s ability to manipulate his creations.  Take the following feats for example:

Venom Crafter

Through refinement and experimentation, you are able to amplify any naturally occurring poison.

Prerequisite Poison Use, Craft (Poison) – 7 ranks

Benefit When refining a natural poison, the crafter can either increase the save DC by 2 or increase the number of consecutive saves required by 1.

Versatile Toxins

Through the use of various additives and processes, you can change the type of a poison.

Prerequisite Poison Use, Craft (Poison) – 5 ranks

Benefit When crafting a poison, you can change the poison’s type between injected, inhaled and ingested.  By raising the craft DC of a poison by 10 during crafting, you can make a poison that can be either ingested or injected.

Step 2: Poison Refinement

Through the use of the normal crafting rules, it is possible to craft more refined, and potent forms of poisons, be they alchemically created or naturally harvested.  To do this, a poisoncrafter must craft two doses of the chosen poison to use as a base, using the normal crafting rules found in chapter 4 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.  After that, the crafter must make one additional dose, using a craft DC 5 higher than normal.  This consumes the previously crafted poison doses, as they are combined together and refined into a more potent form.  Doing this increases the save DC by 2.

Conclusion

These are just a few examples of how a natural poison might be made more effective, as it was for the murder of Holn Brengrin.  Be on the lookout for a more thorough guide to poisons in the future, once we can get it past the Illurian government!  Until then, don’t forget about the reward offered for information regarding the murder of the Tournament Mage mentioned by the tournament announcer!